Blue Phantom
by lassenri
Summary: Naru excepts a case at an abandoned mansion and within three days it's clear to him that this was ordinary haunting. When blue roses begin to follow Mai around the dreams begin to flood in her head. Will Mai's disappearance cause denied feelings towards her surface in Lin, and will the gang be able to save Mai before its too late? mai x lin sortof.
1. Chapter 1

Lights flicker on and off throughout the maze of rooms. The strong sent of chard flesh stained the air as a shadow lurks closer to it's goal.

DECEMBER 26, 11:43 AM.

"Naru!" Mai's face was red with frustration. Lin was out for the day, baby sitting Masako at Narus request. It had only been a few minuets since they left and already Naru had began his normal secret stream of narcissist comments. "NARU!" Mai shrieked, tensing her hands into fists. A small bell rang as the door opened. Mai spun around on the balls of her feet and looked at the small old man the had appeared on the doorstep. Mai welcomed him in before running into the kitchen and grabbing three cups from a high cupboard. Naru sat in his usual posture and listened closely to the deep words that boomed from the old man's mouth. Mai walked over and took a seat by them, placing hot tea on the table. "well... My name is Manzo Tani. I used to be the groundskeeper at the Linio mansion. After the mansion was abandoned I kept on going there out of force of habit. Well... two months ago I noticed a light on in the top west wing. It's the big room that looks over the hedge maize, anyway... Thinking some teenagers had broken in I made my way up to the wing to get them out. When I got there..." The old man paused and sighed, "When I reached the room no one was their, however I could hear scratching noises. I didn't notice till a few days ago that..." Manzo stood and turned around. He lifted of what Mai now realized was a wig and pulled of his shirt. Mai stared at the deep burns imbedded in the mans flesh from the top of his scull to the middle of his spine.

DECEMBER 27, 9:03 AM.

Mai, Naru, Lin, Masako and John stood out front the large run down Linio Mansion. It seemed to have a dark aura that stretched through to the farthest corners of the property. Mai looked at Masako and in turn the girl turned her head away, pretending to not notice Mai. "Come on." Naru said wile leading the way through the rows of rose bushes and trees towards the large wooden front door to the mansion.

Mai felt a shiver as they entered. The air was stale an had a cold feel to it. "Lin, Mai the equipment. two rooms down on the left will be our room" Naru ordered before heading off followed closely by Masako and John. Mai sighed before heading back out the door towards the car. 50 cameras, motion sensors, heat sensors and microphones later mai noticed another car pull up behind Lin's. Mai stared at it till she saw Hosho and Ayako emerge from the vehicle. Hosho had his hair out and wore black glasses. He held a small bag under his arm and was talking to Ayako who was already in her priestess clothes.

"Mai!" Naru yelled from down the hall,"I need all the rooms upstairs filled with cameras and take Takigawa with you to look at the west wing". My nodded and headed upstairs. On the top floor all the rooms had white sheets covering all the furniture and the walls were covered in burns and deep scratches. Hosho stood by the door waiting for mai to finish before the both headed for the wing.

He he he he he, HA HA HA HA HA. Hmhmhmm. Mai Taniyama eh? Hmmm. Be careful my dear, or at lest for a few days. hm hm hm hmhmhmhm he he he HAHA HAA!


	2. Chapter 2

Mai looked around at the blank space were Naru smiled so handsomely at her. He held out his arm. A warm glow surrounded him as Mai found herself in a field of spectacular blue roses. A small boy sat on a curved bridge that covered a stream that Mai couldn't see. Strange figures appeared from far in the distance as people appeared and began dancing around the bridge.

DECEMBER 28, 9:07 AM

"Mai" Masako's voice was tired and sounded far off. "hey!". Mai opened her eyes slowly and felt a burst of light hit her. Masako was in a red kimono with blue rabbits dancing all the way up the shining cloth. Her hair was a little messy and had bits and pieces sticking out in every odd direction. Mai giggled at her uncharacteristic appearance before slowly rising off her bed and straightened her top up.

Both Mai and Masako had stayed awake that previous night arguing till both the girls fell asleep were they sat.

Masako gave a sigh before heading out the door. Mai hesitated for a moment. She yawned and headed out the door after Masako. Behind her in the bedroom a small blue rose fell silently to the ground from a space well above the sealing.

Naru looked over his shoulders at Mai as she entered their temporary 'office'. "your late. I need all the temperatures from upstairs taken. now". Naru ordered before walking up to Masako. He put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a small smile. Mai felt herself go red in the face. Turning around she headed for the stairs. Every stair she climbed made a thin wine under her weight. A strange noise buzzed above her. Looking up Mai saw two strange petals of the deepest blue fall to her feet. Paying it no mind Mai walked in the first of the many rooms.

Room after room Mai entered but as she entered her last, a horrible noise filled her ears. Falling to her knees and holding her head tightly a sickly sweet smell filled the air.

A tall man held a young girl in his arms as the two slowly danced across a candle lit floor. His long black hair sat loosely down his back. The sound of braking glass echoed across the floor as the man found his beloved lying on the floor. Her beautiful skin covered in a thick layer of red as blood slowly seeped from a deep wound in her chest. The man fell to his knees a cried. Mai felt tears fall down her cheek. Slowly she rose onto her feet. Finding her footing the girl began to head for the stairs.

Lin sat at a table composing what, if John took his measurements right, was an accurate floor plan. The place wasn't as much a mansion as it was a large house. Holding three floors, five bathrooms, ten bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, dining room and a ballroom. There was also a stable and workers cottage nesting just outside the hedge-maze.

Mai screamed at the horrid mask that had appeared in front of her. Slowly the masked crept closer, reveling long black hair from behind it. A white hand reached forward for mai, strange claw like objects wrapped at its fingertips. "Rin, Pyo, To, Sha, Kai, Gin, Rets, Zai, Zen" Mai's voice was shaking. The masked man pulled out his other hand and at that moment The hall was covered in blue roses however a thick bush wrapped around Mai and held her. The girl screamed as the figure pulled the bladed fingers closer to Mai's chest. Closing her eyes tight, Mai heard a sequence of words being yelled. All at once the figure vanished with an unpleasant groan, the roses and bushes disappeared and Mai was lifted up by Hosho.

"you alright?" He sounded perfectly calm. "you dummy. Didn't I teach you warding magic earlier on? You do MY spell first, then Ayako's." Hosho flicked the girl in the head before helping her down the stairs.

Hmmmm... so you know a little warding magic eh? But you monk friend over there. He knows powerful spells. hehehe. Maybe I can use him and the others to get to the girl. yes. hehehe he he He Ha HAHAHAHAAAA!


	3. Chapter 3

DECEMBER 29, 7:40 AM

A tall masked man dances alone across a marble floor. Blue roses flowed around him as though they kept there by a strong wind. large windows let in golden light that seemed to complement the mans every move and feature. Mai heard a creaking noise from behind her. As she turned around she felt something in her gut that told her she would regret that. Her eyes widened and she felt she might puke. Laying in a cold pile in a corner of the room lay hundreds of...

Sun filed the small bedroom as mai woke. Her hands were shaking. She looked up at Naru and Lin, Masako, Hosho and Ayako who sat across from her in the temporary 'office'.

Lin looked down at her before continuing, "... During this time the house was owned by the Sonara family. After a few years the Sonara's youngest son 'Kurosuchi' began to attract a fast amount of girls to the Sonara's masked balls. He married at age seventeen to the young Lena Winters who died two yeas later alongside Kurosuchi. After that the garden was torched due to riots but nothing associated with the house. Then just over two hundred years ago the place was deserted, no ones been hear since."

Naru sighed. "That doesn't tell us anything."

"what about you Mai. You have any dreams lately" Ayako turned to look out the window mid sentence but turned back almost immediately. Mai pulled a confused expression and began to explain the dreams. Everyone was silent and listened. Naru almost looked angry that her hadn't thought to ask mai first.

Hosho stood and stretched his back. He was board. Mai's dreams were cool but were too short and in no time the monk had forgotten every word that escaped mai's lips.

"Be back in a minuet" He yawned before leaving the room and vanishing down the hall.

Hosho listened to the sounds his feet made then suddenly stopped. He hadn't noticed till then the extra step that came after his feet had stopped moving. "Who's there?" he asked, questioning his sanity.

"Oh monk hmhmhm."

Hosho spun around on his heals. No one was there. Not even a shadow. Not even a ghost.

"do me a little favor monk."

Hosho glared at the empty space. "what! .. No"

"Get that Taniyama girl up to the wing"

"Definitely no you fool! Who do you think I am?"

"If you don't i'll kill her"

Hosho shuddered.

"Now you wouldn't little Mai to die would you?"

"Damn it" Hosho tightened his fist before storming off.

"hehehe. Good."

Hosho walked down corridors and stairs till he stood outside the office.

"Mai" he called. The girl spun around in an unfeminine fashion. "Do me a favor?" he asked. Mai nodded enthusiastically. Hosho sighed and looked away from her. "Could you go get my ... guitar pick from the west wing for me?" He looked down at the floor. Mai looked confused at Hosho's odd request but didn't argue. The girl had soon left the room and started climbing the stairs.

Lin looked at Hosho intensely. He shrugged before turning to his computer once again.

Mai slowly entered the wing and began looking around for Hosho's pick. A strange mask suddenly appeared in front of her. Before Mai could shriek a pair of strong hands had covered her mouth. Mai looked at the tall man standing before her. A slender man with long black hair that fell down his back. A deep blue cloak covered his body and a mask his face.

"Mai Taniyama. You will help me, understood?" His voice was deep and almost demonic. Picking Mai up over his shoulder the man walked through a passage that had until then been nonexistent.

Hehehehe. Manzo Tani, Do your part well. Tell them all they want to know, no, all they think they want want to know. hmhmhm hm hmha ha haha HAHAHAHA


	4. Chapter 4

DECEMBER 30, 4:23 AM

"Mai!"

"I can't find her!"

"We should split up!"

"Not a chance! It's too risky"

"Then what do you suggest we do!"

"Head back to base, We can check the footage from yesterday"

"Alright"

DECEMBER 30, 7:56 AM

Hosho sighed. "nothing. There's no trace of her on any of the cameras".

Lin flicked through countless files. File after file he saw through and yet not one had caught Mai. Naru turned to face the wall. "Lin. The floor plan?" Naru held out his arm towards the desk. Lin lifted up a small black clipboard with three pieces of paper jammed into it. Grabbing it slowly Naru began to scan the pages in front of him. Drawing imaginary lines across the pages and stopping to re study the plans. Naru's eyes widened.

"Lin. When did you say the last occupant of the house lived hear?" His voice was calm however anger stretched across his brow.

"Two hundred years. why?"

Naru's face twitched with rage. "How could I have missed this? Im so stupid! Remember how Mister Manzo Tani had said that he was the old grounds keeper here and that when the house was abandoned he kept on coming back out of habit? But if this place was left around two hundred years ago then how can he be alive? He couldn't have started work before he was fifteen and to get into the habit of something like coming to work when it's over takes years. He should be well into the grave."

A faint clapping noise from the door made every one turn to face it. Manzo held a large smile and was clapping his large hands together. "hmhmhm. So you figured it out. Wasn't the hardest of quizzes if I say so myself but... I guess you got it in the end."

Masako, John, Ayako and Hosho all had their jours dropped wide open. Naru and Lin on the other hand were expressionless per usual.

Hosho gulped. "where's Mai?"

Mr Manzo stopped his clapping and folded his arms across his chest. "With my master. Were else" he sounded as though the monk's question had offended him somewhat. "You did well for passing masters 1st challenge... however, your 2nd challenge is only now in play. To get to your friend you must reach the roof. In the west wing you'll find a small passage leading to the girl. Wether you like it or not this is now a game. If you win the girl returns to you. You lose the girl dies. good luck". Manzo turned around and was beginning to walk away.

Lin stood up from his seat and ran after him. "wait. ... Why Mai. I mean ... ."

Manzo looked back at him as though he were a complete idiot. "Why... her? Honestly. You lot really are stupid if you cant figure out that much. tsk. It's because Mai Tanitama is the Eclypsidite."

'Souls and spirits are very different however there both needed to fill a living being. When a being dies what's left of them is their spirit. While spirits are the footprints of a being the soul acts more like their essence. What or who they are is acted by their soul.

Phantoms are lone souls. Since phantom's were never alive to begin with they can't be a spirit which in turn means they cant be a ghost. Phantoms are strong emotions or wishes and unfortunately you cant purify, exorcise or seal a phantom, however, every once in a wile an eclypsidide is awaken. An eclypsidite is a being with an abnormal amount of spirit energy. Though slow to awaken they are immensely strong. Eclypsidite's have the ability to create spirits and connect them with souls or go the other way and erase the soul completely.'

Lin ran up the old stairs. He bit his lip and tightened his hands into fists. Passing doors and hallways he sped. The floor making groaning noises under his weight. 'what am I doing? It's not like I care for Mai in the lest, I mean... the only reason we know one another is because she made a bookshelf fall on me... sort of'. Lin's thoughts were in a tangle. As he got closer and closer to the Wing he tried harder and harder to convince himself to turn around and go back. He held out his arms and opened the wide doors to the west wing.

To Lin's surprise John and Masako were close behind him followed by Hosho, Ayako and even Naru. Lin smiled slightly as they came to a holt by his side. Hosho slapped him on the back and grinned. "Didn't think we were gonna let you be the big hero all by yourself did ya?" Though Hosho said it oddly he meant it.

Two large bronze doors materialized on the far side of the room, making a creaking noise as they opened reveling a stairwell beyond.

So close. Im so close. Just take a few more steps and its check. Come on. Hurry up!


	5. Chapter 5

Mai. Mai. You've got to get away from him.

"Naru?... No thats not Naru."

Just get away from him.

"Who?... L...Lin? is that you. What are you doing here?"

Get away.

Lin looked up at Hosho and Ayako. Masako and John had already been completely engulfed. Thick roots twisted around Lin's arm, wrapping itself around painfully. Manzo Tani stood over on a small platform. A huge grin stretched across his face.

"Allllright then. Welcome to your first challenge".

The tall man stood proud in his long blue ball gown, Mai lay limp in his arms her eyes were wide open and watching as she was lowered slowly to the roofs surface.

'Im sorry everyone' The girl thought, 'Im sorry, so sorry. Please forgive me, Im sorry, Im sorry'. Her eyes twitched before slowly shutting.

"Your first challenge is...to" Manzo smiled. "Stay Put. Don't die though, but act like your suffering. If your having trouble... I'll be more than happy to help".

"Mai. You understand don't you?" The blue haired man whispered. Mai gasped before slowly nodding. "Remember, you do have a choice only". The man stopped, grabbing mai by the hair and dragging her to a hole it the roof. Mai's eyes widened as she looked down at the large blue rose bushes that wrapped around her friends. "See if you refuse" The man continued, "Those people ... Will die."

"Mai !" Lin cried. He would have noticed those big eyes anywhere, even if they were peering through broken wood.

Manzo looked up. "how long is this going to take master?" He sighed. "Its getting boring. Just get the girl to do it already"

Lin gasped at this remark. He looked up at the whole in the sealing and noticed mai was gone.

"What do you want with mai?" He yelled in Manzo's direction

"Huh?" He looked surprised, "You mean you don't know what your little friend is?"

Lin looked away and sighed

"Seriously " Manzo laughed, "Well since there's nothing else for me to do... I guess I could explain" He scratched his head and shrugged.

"Fine. ... Firstly there is a difference between souls and spirits. Souls are the emotions and/or essence of a being while spirits are the imprints or remains of a being. When the two merge you get a living being. Now say a spirit alone gets a conscious and a non physical form it will get the abilities a level 3 ghost would have." Hear he paused and sighed.

"Lvl 3 ghost?" Lin questioned

"If a soul who's achieved this want's a real form" Manzo continued, "And keep its new abilities it'll need to devour a strong powered spirit." The man smiled

Mai's eyes slowly closed and her body started to feel light.

_'Jeero!' The woman ran up the small flight of stairs. Leaping over two or more at a time. 'Jeero!'_

_The young couple danced across the floor as people gasped and admired at the sight. The moo shone vigorously through the large arch window. A small child entered the room. her small hands wrapped around a large basked filled to capacity with splendid blue roses. As people approached the girl the sky began to glow red. glass smashed and the once dancing couple fell to the floor, blood seeping through large wounds around there bodies. "Mama, Papa!"_

_A girl sat in the corner of blackness, tears covering her face as her brown hair fell like a cloak down her back. "mama, papa. why? ... why wont anyone... help me?"_

_One of the many flowers the girl held began to drop its feathers. As the first touched the floor... 'im hear mistress. I will always be hear.'_

Mai shook her head. "I'll do it " she whispered. The blue haired man turned to her and smiled. Mai slowly rose to her feet (a first for 14 hours) and looked down. The man took slow steps towards her, his blue eyes covered by long hair. He placed a curled hand under Mai's chin and lifted her head and bent over. His lips got closer and closer to Mai's till

BANG!

The man man growled and disappeared into what looked like blue petals. Lin wrapped his arms around Mai

"L...Lin?" The girl shook, "But how d...did you?"

Lin sighed with relief. and placed both his hands on Mai's shoulders.

"You!" came a cold voice. The blue man appeared behind Lin and tore him away before throwing across the roof.

Mai watched as the two clawed at each others thoughts in horror.

_'what can i do?_

_Im so helpless!_

_What do i do?_

_wait!_

_He only has one chance right?_

_He needs a strong soul!_

Mai spun around on her heals

_What has a weak soul?_

A small butterfly fluttered past her nose and down to the tiles.

_That's it!_

Lin gasped at the pain in his arm yet kept on fighting. Kick after Kick after Punch after Head-but. The blue man yelled before swinging around and nocking Lin off his feet. A sword materialized in his hand. As the blade was lifted above Lin's head. "gah!"

Mai stood over Lin with (angry face on) her hand down the blue mans throat and released a small butterfly into his body.

"Gah! What did you do! Damn it!" The man began to glow a yellow sort of colour. He began to yell and yell before he started to become transparent. "Im sorry but since that spirit was weak you'll be becoming a living butterfly somewhere. Goodbye."

THREE HOURS LATER

After the blue man disappeared Manzo Tani died and everyone woke up on the front lawn of a run down mansion.

"Mai". Lin walked over to the girl "You okay?"

Mai smiled at him "Oh! Im fin..."

Lin pressed his lips against Mai's. The two felt lots of eyes look at them in shock.

_Mai. you are an idiot. but... oh well_


End file.
